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Air Force sophomore Josh Martinez is rated in the initial coaches' panel rankings
for the 2013-14 wrestling season, released today by the NCAA. The final rankings will be
one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the
qualifiers for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

Martinez, an NCAA qualifier as a freshman, is currently rated fifth at 125 pounds with a 24-2 overall record on the season.

Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating
percentage index (RPI) and coaches' rankings to earn spots for the 2014 NCAA
Division I Wrestling Championships. The coaches' rankings are compiled by a vote
of coaches representing each qualifying tournament. For ranking purposes,
coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a
respective weight class. In order to be eligible for the rankings, wrestlers
must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents and
have wrestled within the last 30 days.

Air Force assistant wrestling coach Sam Barber is headed to Santiago, Chile, next week, to coach the U.S. men's freestyle team at the FILA Junior Pan American Championships, being held July 12-14.

Barber, who is entering his fifth year as an assistant for the Falcons, was the head coach of the U.S. FILA Cadet Freestyle team that won the 2012 Pan American tournament and also served as a coach for the United States team at the 2011 Junior FILA World Cup, held in Germany.

On Dec. 1, five members of the Air Force wrestling team--junior Garrett Manley, sophomores Jeremy Delzer, Kyle Morse and Jason Mossing and freshman Ryan VanGuilder--as well as four member of Cadet Squadron 39, volunteered to help the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind (CSDB) at their annual wrestling tournament.

The volunteers worked with students and staff from the school keeping score and acting as scribes and runners for the matches. They made sure the matches ran smoothly and that scores for each match were properly recorded and sent up. Two behavioral science majors, Manley and C1C Casey Schindling, organized and executed the event in support of the mission partnership between the Department of Behavioral Sciences (DFBL) and the wrestling team, as well as an ongoing relationship between DFBL and CSDB.

Three Air Force wrestlers are rated in the initial coaches' panel rankings for the 2012-13 season, released today by the NCAA. The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

VonOhlen, a three-time NCAA qualifier, currently holds a 21-2 overall record on the season, his only losses coming to the first- and second-ranked wrestlers. Martinez holds a 20-6 record in his first season with the Falcons, while Kreimier, a 2012 NCAA qualifier, holds a 15-3 mark on the year.

Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches' rankings to earn spots for the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The coaches' rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches representing each qualifying tournament. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. In order to be eligible for the rankings, wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents and have wrestled within the last 30 days.

Earlier this week, Craig Sesker of USA Wrestling conducted an interview with Air Force head wrestling coach Joel Sharratt, discussing the program's performance through the first half of the year and what is still to come for the Falcons.

Due to the Air Force-Army hockey game
scheduled for 7:05 pm on Friday, Jan. 11, a $5
admission fee will be charged to fans planning
to attend the wrestling dual between No. 25 Air Force and No. 13 Oregon State at
7:00 p.m. on Friday. The wrestling match will be held in Clune Arena, while the
sold-out hockey game will be played at the Cadet Ice Arena, both located in the
Cadet Field House. Fans are reminded to arrive
early to beat the crowds.

In preparation for the 2012-13 competition season, the Falcons' wrestling team will hold its annual wrestle-offs this week, Oct. 22-24. The wrestle-offs, which begin Monday, will end with the Blue-Silver Intrasquad Scrimmage Wednesday evening in Clune Arena.

Bouts on Monday (matches 1-17) and Tuesday (matches 18-29) will be held in the wrestling room, located in the Cadet Gym, beginning at 3:20 p.m., while Wednesday night's finals are slated to start at 6:30 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.

Capt. Blake Luttrell, a former Academy athlete, is one of 20 airmen profiled in the seventh volume of the "Portraits in Courage" series, presented by the U.S. Air Force. Luttrell was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his actions during a helicopter assault in Afghanistan in January 2012.

Luttrell, a 2007 Academy graduate, was a member of the Falcons' wrestling team during his freshman year.

The NCAA West Regional Tournament has been allocated 17 automatic qualifying spots for the 2012 Division I Wrestling Championships, as announced by the NCAA today. Participants in the West Regional include all seven members of the Western Wrestling Conference.

Also on Thursday, the NCAA released the final Coaches' Panel Rankings and Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) for the 2011-12 season. Air Force junior Cole VonOhlen is rated third in the Coaches' Panel Rankings and 11th in the RPI at 149 pounds, while junior Clayton Gable is ranked 31st in the RPI at 174 pounds.

Each qualifying tournament was awarded spots per weight class based on current year data. Each wrestler was measured on the following: Division I winning percentage; rating percentage index (RPI); and coaches ranking.

For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his qualifying tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each qualifying tournament, with automatic qualifying status, was awarded a minimum of one wrestler per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA tournament spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at the tournament based solely on place-finish.

After all of the qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 40 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 7. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; qualifying event placement; quality wins; results against common opponents; winning percentage; RPI; coaches ranking and the number of matches contested at that weight class.

Junior Clayton Gable was one of two Air Force wrestlers to earn an individual title at the All-Academy Championships on Sunday, helping push the Falcons to a second-place finish. In addition, Gable was named by the coaches as the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler for his performance.

Gable entered the tournament as the fourth-seed at 174 pounds, competing in a weight class which featured three wrestlers who were ranked in the initial coaches' panel rankings. After scoring a fall in his first match of the day, Gable shut out top-seeded Matthew Brock of VMI, rated 31st in the coaches' rankings, in a 9-0 major decision. In the championship match, Gable battled to a 6-4 decision over The Citadel's Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, ranked 18th by the coaches.

The preliminary brackets for the 2012 All-Academy Championships, sponsored by USAA, are now available. The event, whichis being held in Clune Arena, begins Sunday, Feb. 5 at 10:00 a.m., with doors opening at 9:00. The finals are slated to start at 5:00 p.m. and will be streamed live at goairforcefalcons.com

All 10 of Air Force's wrestlers are seeded, led by top seeds Carter McElhany (141) and Cole VonOhlen (141). Josh Kreimier (157), Greg Isley (184) and Josh Mohr (197) are each seeded second in their respective weight classes, while Greg Rinker (125) and Jared Erickson (HWT) are both seeded third. Rounding out the group are Dylan Hyder (133), Colby Kluesner (165) and Clayton Gable (174), who are each seeded fourth.

Junior wrestling co-captain Cole VonOhlen is rated third at 149 pounds in the first of three coaches' panel rankings, released today by the NCAA.

The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Other tools used in national championship selection include winning percentage and ratings percentage index (RPI).

VonOhlen, a two-time NCAA qualifier at 141 pounds, currently leads the Falcons with a 23-2 mark on the season.

In its most recent team tournament-strength rankings, Intermat Wrestling rates Air Force 37th in the nation. The tournament-strength rankings are based on projected team scoring at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

The Falcons' rating ranks third in the Western Wrestling Conference, behind Wyoming (16) and Northern Iowa (35). Meanwhile, Air Force rates ahead of service academy rivals Navy (T41) and Army (T58).

Air Force is led by junior Cole VonOhlen, who is currently ranked seventh by Intermat at 149 pounds.